A traditional children's game is commonly known as "hot potato". The game is typically played by several players arranged facing one another about a circle. A ball, a bean bag or other object simulating a hot potato is quickly passed from one player to another, who in turn passes it to a third, etc. If a player does not catch the object when thrown to him and quickly pass it on, but rather fumbles or drops the object, he drops out of play and the game continues with one less player until all but the winner have been eliminated. The game is sometimes accompanied by music, in which case the player holding the object when the music stops is also eliminated.
For a variation of the "hot potato" game, there has been provided toy apparatus having the appearance of a potato or of a bomb and comprising a wind-up motor or other timing mechanism. Such an apparatus was tossed from player to player; the loser was the player who missed or dropped it before it went off, or the one holding it when it went off.
Apparatus also has been known for playing a game of skill wherein a plurality of players arranged around a circle faced a rotating target in the center of the circle. The object of the game was to shoot a projectile into the opening on the target while the target was facing that player.
In another somewhat similar type of game, the apparatus employed as the target was in the shape of a mouth which opened and closed randomly. In order to score, the projectile had to be shot at the target while open.
Electronic apparatus has been in use in public amusement arcades for playing a simulated game of table tennis on a video screen and related apparatus has been sold commercially in the form of adaptors which may be connected to home television sets. A simulated ball in the form of a bright area moves back and forth from one side to the other of a T-V type screen. If it touches the top or bottom boundary of the screen, it is deflected respectively downwards or upwards towards the screen center while at the same time maintaining its forwards or backwards motion. Each player is provided with one simulated paddle in the form of a bright vertical line which may be moved up and down at the respective left or right edge of the screen. If the path of the simulated ball's motion intersects the simulated paddle respective side, the simulated ball is reflected back to the center of the screen, rather than passing off the screen's respective side edge. A variation of such game apparatus utilizes a liquid crystal matrix type of display rather than a T-V type screen. In that case, the ball is simulated by making one square of the matrix dark (non-reflective) while the surrounding background is light (reflective). Such simulated table tennis games have sometimes been provided with a skill select switch that may be manually set by the players and which may, for example, increase or decrease the size of the simulated paddle or make the simulated ball move faster or slower.
However, such games and their associated apparatus were limited in play value; the players would not play more than a few rounds of the game before beginning to lose interest.
Such was especially the case after the players had played the prior art games enough times that they had acquired the necessary skill always to catch and toss the object from player to player or always to aim and shoot the playing piece into the target or always to move the simulated paddle into a position where it intercepts the path of the simulated moving ball.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide playing apparatus for playing a game of skill that is challenging, satisfying and has a high degree of play value.
It is another related object of the present invention to provide game apparatus that retains a player's interest even after he has played the game many times.
Another object of the present invention is to provide game apparatus adapted to be used by several players concurrently who are engaged in playing a challenging game of skill against one another.
It is a more specific objective of one aspect of the present invention to provide electronic game apparatus employing visible lights simulating a bouncing ball to indicate which of the players must pass or hit the ball and when, wherein the lights flash on and off at a predetermined rate and wherein no more than one of the lights is on at any given time.
It is an objective of another specific aspect of the present invention to provide electronic game apparatus usable in a solo mode by a single player, said apparatus having
(a) a first player control station provided with a manual response switch activatable by the player and with a visible light for signalling to the player when his station is active and actuation of said manual switch would be timely,
(b) a second station under automatic control which is also provided with a visible light for signalling to the player at the first station when the second (automatic) station is active, and
(c) electronic game control means which simulates the passing or hitting of the light from one station to another when said response switch is timely actuated by the player, by (1) causing said visible light signalling means associated with said second (automatic) station to indicate the said second station is active, and (2) causing the light to be automatically passed on from said second station in accordance with the rules of the game.
It is a further objective of one specific aspect of the present invention to provide electronic game apparatus usable by several players, each player having his own player control station provided with visible light signaling means for signalling to the player when the station is active and a manual switching means for selecting other player stations, as well as electronic game control and timing means which, when a second station is timely selected at a first active station, causes said second station to then become active and the game to proceed.
A further, more specific objective of the present invention is to provide electronic game apparatus which generates a regular rythmn (corresponding to the simulated bouncing of a simulated ball) and which speeds up the rythmn as a round or volley within the game proceeds, thereby additionally adding further interest to the game.
It is yet a further objective of the present invention to provide game apparatus wherein a light regularly flashing on and off is synchronized with audible musical and rythmic sound effects, further emphasizing the steady regular flashing of the light and indicating the precise moment at which it is turned on and at which it is turned off.
Another objective of one specific aspect of the present invention is to provide electronic game apparatus for playing a game wherein, when a light at a player's station is lit, the player must pass to another station by actuating an appropriate response switch. The player's failure to actuate the switch when (and only when) the light is on results in the player losing the current round or volley of the game.
Another specific objective of the present invention is to provide electronic game apparatus for playing a multi-round game wherein a player who fails to "pass" a simulated "ball" in accordance with the rules of the game is disqualified from participating in further rounds within the same game.
Yet another specific objective is to provide apparatus of the type described wherein the bounce tempo is also made audible, with different rhythmic sequences of musical tones provided for different games and/or skill levels.
Yet another specific objective of the present invention is to provide electronic game apparatus intended to simulate the game of table tennis capable of being used by two teams of players, each team controlling two lights each simulating a different location of the ball and each having an active state and an inactive state, only one of the four simulated ball locations being active at any given moment in time; the team that has control of the then active ball location has the capability to hit the ball by causing a selected one of the other team's simulated ball locations to assume its active visible state, the hitting or missing of the ball being a function of whether a response switch associated with the balls present location is timely or untimely actuated.